Packaged insulating units and method and apparatus of making same



Jime 25, 1957 w. W.'KUENN ETAL 2,796,931

PACKAGED INSULATING um'rs AND METHOD AND APPARATUS OF MAKING SAME 4 Shams-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 22. 1949 w mum. J

LMER EdoA/Es June 25, 1957 E W. W. KU PACKAGED INSULATING UNITS NN E'I'AL 2,796,931

AND METHOD AND APPARATUS OF MAKING SAME Original Filed March 22, 1949 4 Shqets-Sheat 2 2,796,931 APPARATUS 0F 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ff-Q- INVENTORS Mfr lfmsm/ ELMEI? {Jo/v56 ATTYS.

W. W. KUENN ETAL PACKAGED INSULATING UNITS AND METHOD AND MAKING SAME June 25, 1957 Original Filed March 22, 1949 June 25, 1957 w. w. KUENN ETAL PACKAGED INSULATING UN OD AND APPARATUS ITS AND METH MAKING SAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed March 22, 1949 PACKAGED INSULATING UNITS AND METHOD AND APPARATUS OF MAKING SAME William Whitney Kuenn, Toledo, and Elmer F. Jones, Granville, Ohio, assignors to Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application March 22, 1949, Serial No. 82,854. Patent No. 2,681,702, dated June 22, 1954. Divided and this application July 1, 1953, Serial No. 371,351

3 Claims. (Cl. 164-99) This invention relates to insulating bats or units and to the process and apparatus for assembling them and more particularly to bats packaged in a manner whereby one or more components making up the packaged units may be readily separated from the package without the use of tools. This application is a division of our application, Serial No. 82,854 now issued into Patent No. 2,681,702.

At the present time, in the manufacture and packaging of fibrous bats or units formed of mineral fibers, as for example, glass fibers, the bats being of a character especially adapted or used for thermal and sound insulation, it is the practice of packaging groups of bats by supplying a sheet of paper beneath a mat of fluffy fibrous insulating material, severing the fibrous mat into bats and periodically severing the paper backing sheet whereby several bats carried on a single sheet of paper form a package for shipment and this package may be laid fiat in a carton or rolled or otherwise prepared prior to shipment or storage. In the installation of the bats in the products in which the insulating bats may be used as, for example, in buildings, cooking ranges, refrigerators, refrigerator cars, water heaters and the like, the person making the installation unrolls the package and selects therefrom the required bat of the desired dimension. The rolls are desirably of considerable size in the interest of economical handling in transportation but such rolls are difficult to manipulate by the person making the installation. Where several sizes of bats are included in one roll, handling of an entire roll has been found especially time consuming if only bats of one size may be desired for instant application. After use of the bats of desired size, the remainder must be rerolled and stored. This procedure often results in damage to the remaining bats of the package due to the excessive handling.

The present invention resides in the provision of an improved package and in the method and apparatus for packaging groups of insulating bats to facilitate their installation in places of use.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved package of insulating bats wherein a packaging sheet associated with the bats is weakened in linear zones to facilitate the separation of bat sections from the package without disturbing or disrupting the remainder of the package.

.Another object of the invention is the provision of means for mechanically weakening a packagingsheet as by perforating or scoring the sheet in zones in registration with the spaces between adjacent bats or insulating sections.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for perforating or weakening a backing sheet for insulating bats at the time of formation of a package composed of the backing sheet and groups of bat sections.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for forming a plurality of rows of perforations States Patent 2,796,931 Patented June 25, 1957 or scored zones in a packaging sheet for insulating bats in which the sheet perforating or scoring means are adjustable for different widths of bats and for aligning the perforations or linear scoring with the spaces or separations between adjacent bat sections.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economics of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawing of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which:

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view of an apparatus usable for forming and packaging insulating bats illustrating a form of our invention incorporated therein;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the apparatus shown in Figure 1, the view being taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure l; v

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing one of the sheet perforating units, the view being taken substantially on theline 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken substantial-1y on the line -66 of Figure 5;

:Figure 7 is a front elevational view of one of the perforating units; Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of unit shown in Figu17e7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational, view showing another form of device for weakening the backingior' packaging sheet in linear zones;

Figure 10 is-a jdetail sectional view taken substantially onthe line 10-10 of Figure, 9;

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 1 111 of-Figure 4; and

Figure 12 is an isometric view of the package of in-' sulating bats.

While we have illustrated the method andiarrangement of our inventionas particularly adapted and used for processing and packaging groups of insulating .bats with a backing sheet weakened in particular zones for purposes of dismemberment, itis to be understood that we contemplate the utilization of our invention wherever the samemay ;be found to be applicable.

In'the production of bats of fibrous .material'such as wood fiber, cotton fiber,' shredded paper, mineral Wool made from rock, :slagor glass, and the like, the fiber or other constituent material ;is collected into a continuous matbybeingblown'or otherwise deposited upon a conveyor. The mat ofmaterial is then cut ,into "bats or units of the desired Isize,,fusually,by slitting themat into two or, more strips and :cutting'the strips'transversely to form thebats.

The .Present' invention is particularly usable .in the formation and packaging of bats .or insulating funits derived :from :glass reduced or transformed 'to' a relatively fine fibrous state, 'althoughjit is to:be understood that-the invention is applicable to;,the manufacture and packaging of-batsof-other materials. In Figure 1 there is illustrated an arrangement. of manufacturing orlforming bats vof glass fiber, the lfib'ers being produced by flowing streams of molten glass :from the forehearth.:10

the perforating of a-glassmelting furn'aceindicated at 11 and through the ,ilse of suitable blowers'12 the streams. of molten glass hroughla conduit. or chamber 5 1'5 .;to..aconveyor\ 15 upon a t 3 r t which the fibers are deposited to form a mat 16. The mat 16 is transferred to a second conveyor 17 and then to a third conveyor 18, the conveyors being arranged in end-to-end relationship so as to advance or move the fibrous that continuously in a general directionof its length, The conveyors 15, 17 and 18 are driven by a suitable means (not shown). Between the conveyors 17 and 18 a continuous web 20 of sheet material is directed on to the conveyor 18 and into juxtaposition with the under side of the mat 16. The sheet material most commonly used for a web or backing sheet is a kraft paper but other suitable materials may be employed as backing or packaging sheets for the bats. The web of sheet'material may be of a width approximately that of the mat or it may be provided enough wider than the mat to be folded over the outer edges of the group of bats in the finished package.

The web 20 of sheet material is taken from a supply roll 21 and after moving through a mechanism for weakening the sheet in certain zones by perforating or scoring in a manner and by means hereinafter described, passes onto the conveyor 18 thus providing a backing and packaging sheet for the mat 16 at it passes through the bat forming mechanism.

The mat 16 is generally fabricated into a strip of a width greater than the width normally used for insulation applications and means are provided for severing or slitting the mat 16 lengthwise of its movement to provide individual strips of bat material of the desired widths. To this end there is provided a transversely disposed arbor or shaft 24 upon which is mounted one or more rotary saws 25 which are rotated by suitable means (not shown). The saws 25 are provided with peripheral teeth of a shape and character to sever the fibers of the mat 16 as the latter is advanced by the conveyor 18. The number of saws employed and their lateral spacing is such as to sever' or separate the mat 16 into the desired number of strips of the required width incident to their particular application for insulating purposes.

Means are also provided for severing the strips of mat transversely to form bats of a particular or desired length and for transversely severing the backing sheet 20 from the supply to separate a series of severed sections or bats from the mat 16. Preferably the arrangement comprises a frame 27 upon which is journaled a transversely extending shaft 28 equipped with crank arms 29 connected by pitmans 30 with a transversely extending shear or cutting knife 31. The knife: 31 is adapted for cooperation with a stationary shear blade 32 disposed beneath the moving mat 16 and the backing sheet 20. The conveyor 18 being of the flexible endless belt type passes around pairs of rolls 34 and 35 disposed adjacent the stationary shear 32 so as to permit unobstructed operation of the movable shear 31. The conveyor belt 18 takes over the rolls 37 and 38, one of which is driven by suitable means (not shown).

In the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1, the backing sheet 20 is conveyed over the roller 37 and upper flight of the conveyor 18, the backing sheet underlying the mat 16 during its period of travel with the conveyor 18: The shearing knife 31 is arranged to be actuated or operated in a manner (not'shown) for periodically shearing bats or units 40 from the longitudinally severed strips of insulating material, the shearing device being arranged to cut the mat per se without severing the backing sheet until the number of bats or units selected to form a package have been cut fromthe mat 16. The actuating mechanism for the movable shear 31 is arranged so that at the time the last row of bats of the predetermined group are cut from the mat, the backing sheet 20 is also severed, the resulting length of backing sheet corresponding to the aggregate length of the bats combined into a single group or package P" as shown in Figure 12. The backing sheet 20 is maintained in coextensive relation with the severed bats, the bats and backing sheet being rolled in a convolute formation resulting in a substantially cylindrical assemblage or package shown in Figures 1 and 12.

The present invention includes an improvement in the package formed in the above described manner and to a method and apparatus of performing operations upon the backing sheet whereby a workman, in installing individual bats in a place of ultimate use, may readily dismember or separate one or more of the rolled groups of bats from the remainder of the package without the use of tools. Our invention is inclusive of means for performing operations upon the backing sheet in a manner to weaken, score or mutilate the sheet in linear zones which in the finished package will be in alignment with the separations between the strips or longitudinal groups of bats. The weakening of the backing sheet may be accomplished by suitable means such as intermittently mutilating or severing the paper, by partially crushing the paper fiber'or scoring the paper through the use of a scoring wheel or by perforating the paper through the use of a perforating wheel.

We have illustrated the preferred arrangement of our invention as embodying a sheet perforating means to effect a weakening of the paper in linear zones whereby one or more of a group of bats and the adjacent backing sheet sections may be broken away or severed from the rolled package along the perforate lines. The per forating or sheet weakening device illustrated in detail in Figures 2 through 8 is inclusive of a pair of laterally spaced end frames 44 and 45 respectively disposed adjacent the ends of and beneath the conveyor supporting roll 37. The end frames are joined together by means ef members or bars 46, 47 and 51 which are welded, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the end frames.

A transversely extending shaft or rod 49 is mounted at its extremities in suitable support 50 carried by the end frames. The shaft 49 is adapted to support one or more perforating units or mechanisms for perforating or weakening the backing sheet 20. As illustrated in Figure 2, there are four shearing cutters or saws 25 for shearing the that 16 into five longitudinally extending coextensively disposed strips of insulating material designated at 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56. Arranged for cooperation with the saws are fourperforating units 41, 41, 42 and 42, each disposed in alignment with a shearing saw 25. As the perforating units are of substantially identical construction, a description of one is believed sufficient for the present purposes.

One of the perforating units is illustrated in Figures 3 through 8 and includes a member 59 of hollow formation which may be formed by welding a pair of plates to suitable spacing portions. The side Walls of member 59 are provided with slots 61 to accommodate a stub shaft 62 upon which is journaled a perforating wheel 63 having a serrated periphery, Slidably disposed in the slot 61 formed in the walls of member 59 is a plunger 64'of U-shaped configuration, the extremities of the leg portions thereof engaging the shaft 62 to maintain the latter in contact with the end walls of the slots 61 so as to maintain the perforating wheel normally in a predetermined position with respect to the member 59.

As shown in Figure 6, the upper end of member 64 is formed with a kerf to accommodate one end of a plate spring 65 for resiliently urging member 64 toward the shaft '62. The other end of the spring 65 is anchored to an abutment 66 carried by forwardly projecting portions 67 of member 59. The pressure exerted by spring 65 upon the plunger 64 may be regulated by adjusting the position of screw 68 which is received in a threaded bore formed in member 59. Means are provided for pivotally supporting member 59 upon the shaft 49 including a block 70 bored to be slidably received on shaft 49. Welded or otherwise secured to the block 70 is a tang 71 formed with 'angularly arranged upper and lower edge portions. The member 59 is formed with a surface 72- arranged to coincide withthe lower edge of the tang 71 as shown in Figure 4. The upper edge of tang 71 is adapted to be engaged by a gib element 73twhich is slotted to accommodate a retaining pin 74 carried by member 59. The slot in the gib or element'73' isconsiderably larger than the diameter of the pin 74- so as to facilitate adjustment of element 73 into clamping en' gagement with the tank 71. A screw 75 carried by member 59 engages the elements 73 so that the member 59 and structure associated therewith may be fixedly, yet removably, supported upon the block 70.

Each member 59 is connected by means of a pivot pin 77 with a shoe 78 which is centrally slotted as at 79 to accommodate the periphery of the perforating wheel 63. The paper backing sheet 20 passes beneath the shoe 78 as shown in Figure 4 and serves to prevent adherence of the backing sheet 20' to the perforating wheel 63 during perforating operations. The other end of the shoe 78 is joined by means of a pin 80 with a tenon 81 formed on a member 82. Member 82 is of U-shaped configuration, the upper ends of adjacent leg portions thereof being secured to a block 84 threaded to receive an adjusting screw 85. The inner wall surfaces of the legportions of member 82 are cylindrically shaped in crosssection to receive an expansive spring 86. The upper end portion of the spring is provided with a fitting 87 which bears against the plate spring 65. The expansive pressure of spring 86 serves to urge the shoe 78 toward one position of adjustment. Secured to member 82 is an L-shaped block 89 provided with a threaded opening to receive an abutment screw 90. The abutment screw 90 may be adjusted to engage the L-shaped frame member 47 for limiting the extent of movement of member 82 and the shoe 78.

Also mounted for slidable movement on shaft 49 are several pairs of arms 92 and 93. Two of the perforating units designated 41 and 41' as shown in Figure 2 are associated with pairs of arms 92 while the other set of perforating units designated 42 and 42' are associated with pairs ofarms 93. The means for adjusting the lateral position of each of the perforating units independently through the medium of arms 92' and 93 will be hereinafter described.

Means are provided for guidingthebacking sheet of paper or other suitable material 20 in a directiorrto be. engaged by the perforating wheels 63. Joining the end frames 44 and 45 is a bar 104 to which is secured a.

member 105 in which the adjacent. ends of adjusting screws 106 and 107 are journaled at their abutting ends, the other end portions of the screws being journaled; in suitable bearings carried by the end frames. Another bar 108 connects the end frames and supports a member 109 in which the abutting ends of adjusting screws 110 and 111 are journaled. A relatively stationary shaft 114 carried by the end frames 44 and 45 forms a support for means guiding the backing sheet 20 into contact with the perforating wheels 63; Mounted on the shaft 114 is a plurality of cylindrical bushings 115, one adjacent each perforating wheel assembly. Each bushing carries a sleeve 117 supporting the inner-race 118 of an antifriction or ball bearing 119. The inner bearing race is heldin assernbled positionby means of a retainer ring 120. The outer race 121 of the ball bearing 117 carries a roller or disk 122 formed with a peripheral groove .123 affording clearance for the teeth of the perforating wheel 63 as shown in Figure 6. The roller 122 is adapted'to rotate under the influence of movement of the paper or backing sheet 20.

Mounted upon the adjusting screw 110 is a block 125 which is bored and threaded to cooperate with the screw. Secured at each side of the block are yoke members 126 the furcations 127 of the yoke arranged to straddle the bearing 119 and roller 122 as shown in' Figures 2, and 6. The sleeve 117 is formed. with a peripheral enlargement 128, the portion 128 and the ring providing abutments for the yokes 126. When screw 110 is rotated by means hereinafter described, the block and yokcs 126 will be moved axially of the shaft 114, the yokes cooperating to move the bushing 115, sleeve 117, ball bearing 119 and roller 122 to adjusted position simultaneously with adjustment of the perforating wheel 63 whenever the position of the perforating wheel is changed in a lateral direction. Each of the perforating units is associated with a paper guiding means of the character described and shown in Figure 6.

Means are provided for independently adjusting each of the perforating and roller units transversely of the backing sheet 20 for the purpose of positioning the perforators for weakening the backing sheet 52 in linear zones in alignment with the rotary saws or cutters 25. The bars 46 and 51'support a plate 48 from which depend members 96 and 97, each being formed with a bore accommodating a bushing to receive unthreaded tenon portions formed on the ends of suitable adjusting screws.

The end frame 44 supports a bearing member 130 in which is journaled a shaft 132, a major portion of the shaft being threaded, the end of the shaft being formed with a tenon 133' jou-rnaled in bearing bushing 134 carried by member 96. The shaft 132 is threaded through a block 1350f the unit 42 shown in Figure 2.

Secured upon the outer end of the shaft 132 is a manipulating means in the form of a hand wheel 137. Also fixedly secured to the shaft adjacent the bearing 130. isa sprocket wheel 138. The shaft 110 projects exteriorly of the end frame 44 and supports a sprocket 139. A chain 140 takes over the sprockets 138 and 139 and an idler sprocket I41 wherebyrotation of the hand wheel 137 and the shaft 132 adjusts the lateral position of perforating unit 42, and through the mediumof sprocket 139 and chain 140. simultaneously rotates shaft 110 and moves roller 122 and its supporting assembly concurrently with the perforating unit 42. The idler sprocket 141 is adjustably supported by means (not shown) for maintaining the chain 140 in taut condition so as to eliminate lost motion between the sprockets 138 and 139.

A second shaft 132 is arranged in alignment with shaft 132 and is of similar construction, the inner end being formed with a tenonjournaled in the bearing bushing 134. Aflixed to the end of the shaft 132' is a hand wheel 137 and a sprocket138 which is connected by means of a chain 140' with a sprocket 139 secured to the end of threaded shaft 111. The inner end of shaft 111 is formed with a tenon journaled in a bearingbushing mounted in member 109 shown in Figure 2. The shaft 132 is cooperatively associated with the perforating unit 42, the shaft passing through a threaded bore formed in a block as shown in Figure 2. Thus manipulation of hand wheel 137 causes rotation of shafts 132 and. 111 and lateral movement of the perforating unit 42' and its adjacent paper supporting roller assembly. The chain 140 also overtakes an idler sprocket 141 which is adjustably supported to regulate the tension of the chain 140.

As shown in Figure 2, the perforating unit 41 is, associated with a threaded'shaft 144 of a construction similar toshaft 132 and has its inner-end formed with a tenon journaled in. a suitable bearing (not shown) carried by member 97. A block 145 of construction similar to the block 135 is formed with a threaded bore for cooperation with the threaded portion of shaft 144 whereby rotationof'the latter moves the perforating unit 41 transversely of the'sheet 20. As particularly shown in Figure 3, the end of the shaft 144 is provided with a hand wheel 147 and a sprocket 148 connected by means of a chain The shaft 106, through; the medium ofthesprocketand chain;arrange-.

ment, is simultaneously rotated with the shaft 144'when the hand wheel 147 is rotated so as to adjust the lateral position of the perforating unit 41, the rotation of shaft 106 also causing simultaneous movement of the paper guiding roller assembly adjacent the perforating unit 41.

The fourth perforating unit 41 is connected with a block 153 which is bored and threaded to cooperate with the threaded shaft 144', the end portion of which is journaled in a bearing carried in member 97. The end of shaft 144 is likewise provided with a hand wheel 147' and a sprocket 148, a chain 149' connecting sprocket 148' with a sprocket 150' fixedly secured on the end of a threaded shaft 107. The shaft 107 is cooperatively associated with a sheet guiding roller (not shown) of the same construction as roller 122 and disposed adjacent the perforating unit 41'. Through the arrangement of sprockets and chain connecting shafts 144 and 107, rotation of the hand wheel 147 operates to adjust the position of the perforating unit 41 and its adjacent roller supporting assembly.

Through the mechanism for manipulating the shafts 132, 144, 132 and 144 it will be seen that each of the perforating units 41, 41, 42 and 42' may be adjusted transversely of the sheet 20 so that the perforating or weakening of the sheet may be accomplished in linear zones in registration or alignment with rotary saws 25 as shown in Figure 2. Thus as the saws 25 are adjusted laterally to-sever bats of different widths from the mat 16, each perforating unit may be adjusted to bring its perforating wheel into proper alignment with the rotary saw so that the perforating of the paper occurs on lines coinciding with the spaces between adjacent strips or bats.

As particularly shown in Figure 5, the backing or packaging sheet 20 is passed over rods 160 and 161, around the roll 162 and beneath the shaft 163 and onto the upper flight of the conveyor 18 advancing the paper to a position underlying the mat 16. The rods or shafts 160 and 161 provide a means for controlling or regulating the tension of the backing sheet 20 so as to insure its proper movement through the perforating units so as to secure satisfactory perforation or weakening of the paper. The shafts 160 and 161' are non-rotatable, being fixedly secured at each end to brackets 165 and 166. The bracket 165 is formed with tenon 167 which is adapted to be received in a suitable clamp 168 while bracket 166 is formed with a tenon 169 adapted to be received in a clamping device 170. The tenon 167 of bracket 165 is adapted to receive the hub portion 171 of a manipulating arm 172 as shown in Figure 2.

When it is desired to change or vary the tension of the sheet 26, the clamps 168 and 170 may be released by manipulating the screws 173 and the rods 160 and 161 adjusted by moving the arm 172. The tension of the sheet is changed by shifting the relative position of the rods 16% and 161 to alter the acuteness of the serpentine path traversed by the sheet in passing around the rods as shown in Figure 5, thus modifying the frictional resistance to the advancement of the sheet. After such adjustment has been made, the clamps 168 and 170 may be drawn into clamping position by screws 173 to secure the shafts 160 and 161 in fixed position, maintaining the desired tension in the sheet 20. The sheet guiding rod 163 is carried in suitable pillow blocks 174 which are adjustable through the medium of bolts 175 and slots 176 formed in the end frames 44 and 45.

j The operation of the apparatus of the inventionfor carrying out the method and process of forming packages of bats is as follows: A supply of molten glass contained in the forehearth 111 is passed as streams through small openings and under the influence of blowers 12 the streams are reduced to relatively fine filaments which are collected upon the conveyor 15 in the form of a mat 16 of fluffy fibrous nature. The conveyor 15 moves the mat onto the conveyor 17 which in turn conveys the mat through 8 the shearing apparatus for severing or subdividing the mat into bats or units of predetermined size.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rotary saws 25 are rotated by suitable'means (not shown) to sever or slit the mat 16 into a plurality of coextensively arranged lengths of the fibrous material, in the embodiment illustrated the mat being subdivided longitudinally into five lengths designated 52 through 56 inclusive. The shearing knife 31 is'adapted to cut the linear strips transversely into predetermined lengths as may be required for bat use.

The backing sheet 20 which may be of any suitable material, as for example kraft paper, is obtained from a supply roll 21 which passes around the tension regulating rods 160 and 161, around the roll 162 through the perforating units, around the rod 163 and on to the conveyor 18 causing the paper to lay between the upper flight of the conveyor 18 and the mat 16 so that the paper or backing sheet forms a support for the bats severed from the mat 16 as it passes through the bat severing means illustrated in Figure 1.

As particularly shown in Figure 2, the perforating units 41, 41', 42 and 42 are adjusted so that the lines of perforations made in the backing sheet 20 are in alignment with the rotary saws 25. Each perforating unit and its supporting roller 122 may be adjusted laterally independently of the remaining perforating units by adjusting the proper hand wheel 137, 137', 147 and 147. For example in order to adjust or shift the position of perforating unit 42 and the paper guiding and supporting roller 122 in a lateral direction, the operator rotates the hand Wheel 137 which directly rotates the threaded shaft 132, and through the medium of the sprockets 138, 139 and chain 140 rotates the threaded shaft in the same direction. As both the perforating unit 42 and the adjacent paper supporting roller unit are threadedly associated with shafts 132 and 110 having threads of the same pitch, the sprockets 138 and 139 being of the same diameter, both units will be moved simultaneously the same amount in the same direction. The unit 42 and its adjacent paper supporting roll are adjusted by manipulation of the hand wheel 137'. Perforating units 41 and 41 and the paper supporting roller units adjacent thereto are adjusted by manipulation of the hand wheels 147 and 147'.

When the shearing device 31 severs the mat 16 and the backing sheet 20, the'severe-d length of sheet 20 and the bats grouped thereon are rolled into a package P as shown in Figures 1 and 12. The rolled configuration of the package may be maintained by suitable means as by the application of a strip of paper 1'79 or other material suitably gummed or coated with adhesive contacting the sheet 20 of the formed package as shown in Figure 12.

In the use of the individual bats from the package, a person making the installation of bats in a product to be insulated may quickly separate one or more of the sections from the remainder of the package by simply exerting an endwise force on the section to be separated causing a parting or severing of the bat section or sections from the package along a perforated zone. This operation is facilitated and made possible by reason of the weakening of the paper backing sheet by perforation, scoring or other suitable means.

Another form of means is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 for weakening or scoring the paper in linear zones. In this form of device a supporting unit 59 vsimilar in construction to the supporting unit 59 is slotted to receive a shaft 62 upon which is journaled a paper scoring wheel 181 having its periphery ground to an edge 182 adapted to engage the backing sheet. The backing sheet 20 is supported by a roller 183 similar in construction to the rollers 122. The roller 183 may be formed with a comparatively shallow peripheral groove 184 to facilitate in weakening the paper although this may be dispensed with and suflicient downwardly acting pressure exerted upon scoring wheel 181 to elfect a partial crushing of the fibers of the backing sheet 20 without complete severance of the paper. The roller 181 may be carried upon suitable hearings in the same manner as roller 122 as shown in Figure 6, the rollers 183 being movable along the shaft 114 by means of the yoke construction 126.

It is to be understood that our invention embraces the weakening of the paper by any means particularly effective' to weaken the paper by reducing its resistance to tear adjacent the spaces of separation of the individual bats making up the package and it is to be understood that we contemplate the utilization of equivalent means for accomplishing the results in accordance with the principles herein set forth.

We claim:

1. Means for establishing a plurality of spaced linear weakened zones in a packaging sheet including, in combination, a frame, a plurality of sheet weakening units each including a member, a sheet weakening element revolubly supported on each member, a spring normally biasing the element toward the packaging sheet, means for independently adjusting the biasing pressure of each spring, a shoe pivotally connected at one end with each member and adapted to frictionally engage the packaging sheet, a spring individual to each shoe for biasing the shoe toward the packaging sheet, means individual to each shoe-biasing spring for adjusting the biasing pressure thereof, a pair of bars supported upon the frame, said members being slidably supported on one of said bars, a block associated with each of said members slidably supported upon the other of said bars, an antifriction bearing carried by each block, a roller journaled on the bearing of each block and disposed adjacent a sheet weakening element, each roller being formed with a peripheral recess arranged to accommodate the periphery of the adjacent element, a plurality of pairs of threaded shafts journaled on the frame, the shafts of each pair being simultaneously rotatable and having threaded connection respectively with one of the members and the adjacent roller supporting block, and means individual to each pair of shafts for rotating said pair to change the relative positions of the member and the adjacent roller-supporting block along the bars independently of the other units for regulating the transverse distance between adjacent sheet weakening elements.

2. Means for establishing a plurality of spaced linear perforated zones in a packaging sheet including, in combination, a frame, a plurality of packaging sheet perforating units, each of said units including a member, a sheet perforating wheel revolubly supported on each member and arranged for movement relative to the member in a direction normal to the axis of the wheel, resilient means normally biasing the wheel toward the packaging sheet, means for independently adjusting the biasing pressure of each resilient means, a shoe pivotally supported on each member adapted to fnctionally engage the packaging sheet, resilient means individual to each shoe for biasing the shoe toward the packaging sheet, means individual to each shoe-biasing resilient means for adjusting the biasing pressure thereof, a pair of bars supported upon the frame, said members being slidably supported on one of said bars, a block associated with each of said units slidably supported upon the other of said bars, a roller journaled on each block and disposed adjacent a perforating wheel, each roller having a groove in the periphery arranged to accommodate the perforated region of the adjacent perforating wheel, a plurality of pairs of threaded shafts rotatably supported on the frame, the shafts of each pair having threaded connections respectively with one of the members and the adjacent roller supporting block, means individual to each pair of shafts for rotating said pair simultaneously to vary the relative positions of the member and the adjacent roller-supporting block along the bars independently of the other perforating units for regulating the transverse distance between adjacent linear perforated zones in the packaging sheet.

3. Means for establishing a plurality of spaced linear weakened zones in a packaging sheet including, in combination, a frame, a plurality of sheet perforating units, each of said units including a member, a sheet perforating wheel revolubly supported on each member and adapted for movement relative to the member in a direction normal to the axis of the wheel, resilient means normally biasing the wheel toward the packaging sheet, means for independently adjusting the biasing pressure of each resilient means, a shoe pivotally supported on each member adapted to frictionally engage the packaging sheet, resilient means individual to each shoe-biasing resilient means for adjusting the biasing pressure thereof, a pair of rods supported upon the frame, each of said members being slidably supported on one of said rods, a block associated with each of said units slidably supported upon the other of said rods, an antifriction bearing mounted on each block, a roller journaled on the bearing of each block and disposed adjacent a perforating wheel, each roller being formed with a groove in the periphery thereof arranged to accommodate the perforating region of the adjacent Wheel, a plurality of pairs of threaded shafts journaled on the frame means connecting said pairs of shafts for simultaneous rotation, the threaded shafts of each pair having threaded connection respectively with one of the members and the adjacent roller supporting block, and manually operable means individual to each pair of threaded shafts for rotating said pair to change the relative position of the unit connected therewith and the adjacent roller-supporting block along the rods independently of the other perforating units for regulating the transverse distance between adjacent sheet perforating wheels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 10,652 Burton Oct. 20, 1885 366,104 Holm July 5, 1887 442,878 Geiger Dec. 16, 1890 959,966 Rosback May 31, 1910 1,678,458 Biggert July 24, 1928 1,800,444 Dustan et al. Apr. 4, 1931 1,808,500 Holny June 2, 1931 1,895,852 Iohnstone Ian. 31, 1933 2,206,112 Neuhart July 2, 1940 

